Bangladesh has recorded the deaths of seven more children linked to measles and measles-like symptoms, highlighting the continued severity of an outbreak that has become the country’s deadliest in decades. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the deaths were reported during the 24-hour period ending at 8:00 am on Tuesday.

Among the seven fatalities, one child had a laboratory-confirmed measles infection, while the remaining six died after developing symptoms consistent with the disease. During the same reporting period, 990 children were identified with measles-related illness, including 122 whose infections were confirmed through testing.

The latest figures bring the cumulative death toll since 15 March to 766 children. Of these, 95 deaths occurred after laboratory confirmation of measles, while 671 children died after presenting symptoms associated with the disease before confirmation.

The DGHS said the child with confirmed measles died in Dhaka. Of the six children who died with suspected measles symptoms, four were from Dhaka Division and two were from Sylhet Division.

The outbreak continues to place significant pressure on hospitals across the country. During the same 24-hour period, 831 children were admitted to hospitals with measles or suspected measles, while 900 recovered sufficiently to be discharged.

Since the outbreak began in mid-March, hospitals have admitted a total of 96,027 children with confirmed or suspected measles infections. Of them, 92,383 have completed treatment and returned home, indicating that while a large majority recover, the disease continues to claim lives, particularly among vulnerable children.

Health authorities report that since 15 March, symptoms of measles have been detected in 113,244 children nationwide. Laboratory testing has confirmed measles infection in 13,735 of those cases, suggesting that many patients are initially treated based on clinical symptoms while awaiting confirmation or where testing is unavailable.

Dhaka Division has recorded the highest number of deaths linked to measles symptoms, reflecting the heavy burden borne by the country’s most densely populated region. Sylhet, Rajshahi and Mymensingh have also reported substantial fatalities, underscoring the nationwide spread of the outbreak.

Public health experts describe the current outbreak as unprecedented in Bangladesh over the past quarter-century. The country previously recorded its highest annual measles caseload in 2005, when 25,934 infections were reported. Following that peak, the number of cases declined steadily over the years, largely due to routine childhood immunisation and supplementary vaccination campaigns. Last year, only 132 confirmed measles cases were reported nationwide.

Despite the launch of a nationwide mass immunisation campaign more than two months ago, the outbreak has yet to come under control. Health authorities continue to detect nearly 1,000 new infections every day, while fatalities remain a persistent concern.

Officials have repeatedly stressed the importance of ensuring children receive the recommended doses of the measles vaccine, as vaccination remains the most effective protection against severe illness, complications and death. The sustained transmission despite ongoing immunisation efforts suggests that gaps in vaccine coverage, delayed healthcare access, or other public health challenges may still be contributing to the spread of the disease, leaving hospitals under continued strain as they respond to one of Bangladesh’s most serious measles outbreaks in recent history.